No Tipping, No Fees for Jakarta Airport Porters

Jakarta Airport Eliminates Porters and Appoints ‘Airport Helpers’ Who Will No Longer Charge for Baggage Handling. Is Bali Next?

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(9/3/2017)

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport has made baggage porter service for arriving and departing passengers free-of-charge, effective September 1, 2017.

Angkasa Pura II’s (AP II) CEO, Muhammad Awaluddin, announced that porters are now called “airport helpers” with passengers no longer expected to tip or pay for luggage services.

AP II says as “airport helpers” employees are expected to not only help with luggage but also to assist passengers in any way they can during passengers visit to the airport. And, again, all this service and no charge!

In the past, free-of-charge airport porter services only existed for international passengers in Terminal III. By extending the free-porter service to all terminals, the Jakarta Airport Authority aims to enhance the international reputation of the Airport by optimizing the travel experience.

An AP II spokesperson explained that in the past Porters working at Soekarno-Hatta Airport totaled 800 and were employed by three vendors who set luggage fee and tip targets for the porters. Under the new scheme, Porters will now be employed by PT Ankasa Pura Solusi - a subsidiary of AP II who will set salary levels for porters that will no longer be derived from fees and tips.

The AP II spokesman said: “I understand that the new policy on free porter service will have a major effect on the salary and benefit earned by workers. In the past, they were given targets to fulfill. We acknowledge the minimum salary set by the government. We are working on the new salary scheme for porters."

The Minister of Tourism, Arief Yahya, has heartily endorsed the free-of-charge porter program at Jakarta’s airport.

It remains to be seen if Bali will follow suit and introduce a free-of-charge ported scheme that emulates Jakarta.